In the dark I can see you smile
by canyousmellchips
Summary: Laura just wanted to finish writing her article after a long week, but a blackout in the building makes her annoying neighbor appear in her door.


**T** he building's door opens with a click and Laura tries to go inside with her back pressed against the glass as she enters the hall. Her arms full of annotations from work. When she moved to the city she imagined her life would be all about working hard during the week but having the Friday free so she could watch some new show on Netflix on her old couch. It turns out adult life is more on the lines of spending all night awake typing a new article on her laptop. Only having breaks in between to wash the pile of her dirty clothes that has been growing every day.

Laura struggles to get her key out of her pockets in front of her door and sighs deeply when the sound of her annoying next door neighbor reaches her ears. She won't let this bother her tonight. She needs to finish this damn paper by Monday and the rock music blasting next door will not be what causes her to be late in her work. At least the neighbor is listening to The Runaways this time. It could've been worse.

After a much-needed shower, Laura sits in her small kitchen table with a glass of wine and opens her file to start working. She stares at the blank page and frowns. Starts one sentence and soon erases it once, twice, maybe a hundred times. After a few minutes, her glass is empty and she still has nothing ready. She paces around the room, throws her hands in the air in frustration.

Maybe she needs a break. Just five minutes. She just needs to let her brain process things before she really starts writing the article. Five minutes pass and Laura notices she is humming together with the music from next door.

"Ch-ch-ch-ch Cherry Bomb! Ugh! This is ridiculous." She closes her mouth and stares angrily at the wall. Time to go back to work.

But as soon as she sits in front of her computer again all the lights go off. This can't be happening to her. Laura is a nice person. She deserves good things. But here she is, sitting in a pitch black room in front of her computer screen with an almost dead phone.

Luckily, the computer's battery has about 30% left and it's enough for her to try and write for maybe half an hour. Except that when she finally finds inspiration and she's close to finishing the first page, her doorbell rings.

Laura opens the door with her phone in hand after she almost trips over some shoe she forgot on the floor earlier. When she looks up, a sigh leaves her mouth. Carmilla Karnstein is standing in front of her. Wearing only a tattered band shirt and the smaller shorts on earth. Her hair is in a mess of dark locks and something in her eyes looks different.

"Hey, cupcake. I'm out of candles." Carmilla says and it sounds weird. Not sarcastic or flirty like she always is around Laura. Or around any other girl, for that matter.

"Oh… Okay, I'll just go get some for you and…" Laura stops in her tracks when a hand catches her arm.

"Can I just… stay for a bit? Please?"

Laura stares at Carmilla's eyes. Uncertain. She almost looks scared. That doesn't match at all the rude neighbor she had for the last six months. Carmilla always had a smirk on her face. Making jokes about Laura's unhealthy food behavior every time she saw the girl entering the building with her arms full of candies. Or just making Laura blush furiously with every dirty innuendo she could imagine.

"Yeah, sure. Come in."

Laura isn't sure what makes her agree with this. And it feels out of place. To have Carmilla sitting uncomfortably on her old flowery couch. With pale arms bracing herself. Laura sits across from her in the armchair. Maybe she should say something. Break the ice. Say anything to just make this less weird.

"So… what do you think caused this blackout? It's the first time I've seen one here. Is it common? I mean, I know you lived here for years already. You probably went through this several times."

"I don't know. Never been through one before. Not here, at least." Her voice is shaky, distant. It's making Laura even more nervous. She is not used to being nice to Carmilla. Well, she is not used to Carmilla talking to her like that. Did they ever really have a conversation before today?

A loud noise comes from Laura's bedroom. A book or something heavy fell on the floor. Carmilla jumps and screams. She rolls to the carpet and starts shaking hard.

Laura gets up and moves her arm loosely through the air. She doesn't know what is happening. Is Carmilla having a panick attack on the floor of her apartment? What is she supposed to do? Should she call for help?

"Hey, hey, Carmilla! Look at me, come on." Laura sits close to the other girl. Her hand freezes in the air, wondering if it's okay to touch her at the moment. "It's ok, I'm here. Can you talk? I need to know what's happening so that I can help."

Carmilla only nods and closes her eyes. The shaking won't stop. Laura tentatively puts a hand on her shoulders. And just like that her whole body is engulfed by Carmilla's embrace. It takes some time for her breathing to even. Laura runs a hand through Carmilla's arms, rocks both their bodies back and forth. There is a glimpse of a memory there. In another life, warm arms had lulled her to sleep like this after a nightmare. Not anymore.

An idea comes to her mind and she gets her phone from the center table. It's a bit difficult with Carmilla hugging her so hard, but she manages to open the app. A song starts playing and it already makes Carmilla feel calmer. The silence in the room is replaced by "You Drive Me Wild". It makes Carmilla stop shaking. She lets out a small laugh and leaves Laura's arms.

Laura is shocked by the fact that she misses the warmth of the other girl's embrace. That shouldn't be happening. This is Carmilla. Annoying, rude, neighbor Carmilla that listens to loud music till late in the night. But there is still a relief when she sees that Carmilla is looking less pale now with her head thrown on the couch behind them.

The music stops and they stay like this. Sitting side by side in the dark. Laura's mind is racing again, trying to find something to say. She hates the silence.

"I was five when it happened…" Carmilla starts, uncertain. She's still staring at the ceiling. Laura thinks she looks even more beautiful illuminated by the candles' light.

Carmilla breathes deep and when she talks again her voice is firmer.

"We used to live in this small apartment. Me, my siblings and my mom. Right after our dad died and years before my mom became super rich with her new job." Laura had heard the rumors from the other people in their building. About how Carmilla had left her mom's mansion after she turned eighteen. Something about a fight between them. Laura feels like she is intruding in something too personal, but Carmilla is the one talking of her own will. "And I was always a rebel kid. Didn't listen when my older sister Mattie kept telling me to not leave the house alone. But for some reason I thought it was exciting. The streets in the dark. I got out when Mattie was busy taking care of our little brother. My mom was out working."

Carmilla's voice is shaky again. Almost like she could start crying. When Laura holds Carmilla's hand between hers the black-haired girl looks more confident to keep going.

"It wasn't as dark on the streets. The stars and the moon would light everything up and I loved that. I used to love to live in a place where it was dark enough that you could see so many constellations." There is a small smile on her face now. It's cute, not the flirty smile she always used on Laura. It looks genuine. But soon the emotions in her face are replaced by sadness again.

"I got distracted. Didn't look where I was going and fell into a pit. It was awful. My whole body was hurting and I could smell the blood that was in my legs and my arms. I tried to open my mouth to shout out for help but I could only cry and cry for hours. Mattie only found me in the morning. I spent days in the hospital. Mom was so angry with her and I felt guilty that she was the one getting yelled at while I was being disobedient."

Laura feels like her heart is being pricked by a thousand needles. Looking at Carmilla's sad smile she could see it. A little girl still scared inside those watery dark eyes. She moves their intertwined hands till they reach the big scar on her right knee.

"I got this one when I was eight. I tried to run after my mom's car when she left me and my dad. But I wasn't fast enough. Got my leg stuck in a manhole. My dad cried for a whole week after that. And he had to carry me around everywhere. I felt like I was just making it worse for him."

Her eyes find Carmilla's dark ones and they stay like that. Looking at each other, with both of their hands clasped together.

"The invisible scars are always the ones that hurt more." Carmilla says in a small voice. Laura agrees. They are getting closer now. Something new is moving between them, Laura can almost feel the air getting heavier.

And just like that the lights flicker back on.

Both of them jump to their feet. Whatever happened a few seconds ago is now broken by the sound of the electrical working again and the amount of clarity in their eyes.

"I'm going back to my place. Sorry to have bothered you, creampuff." Carmilla said as she runs toward the door. She seems eager to get out of there now.

Laura stays on her doormat, trying to understand what exactly had just happened on the floor of her apartment.

"Don't worry. You didn't bother me at all." She can hear how pathetic and awkward her voice is sounding with a high pitch. "If you ever need… you know, a place to go… if we ever get another blackout. Just… Just knock on my door?"

Carmilla opens her door in the other side of the hall and stops. Slowly turns around to look at Laura. The knowing smirk is back in her face.

"Maybe I will. See you around, Laura." She winks and closes the door to her apartment, leaving Laura alone outside.

Laura didn't want the moment to end so soon. She wants to go back to being close to Carmilla and just hold her hand again. It's weird. Till today she only saw Carmilla as this awful and rude person that used to infuriate Laura just by breathing but now there is something different about her. She is just human after all, hiding behind her insecurities.

Laura goes back inside her apartment and her eyes go wide after a second. Something is jumping in her stomach, making her feel flushed and dizzy. This isn't good. This isn't right. But Laura can't stop thinking about how she can't wait to see Carmilla again.

The notes of "I Love Playing With Fire" start playing in the other apartment and Laura laughs, humming along as she opens her laptop to start working again.

* * *

 **A/N:** This came from a talk me and Doris were having about how funny it would be if Laura and Carmilla had to stay together bickering and stuck alone somewhere. For some reason I thought writing angst would be better. Which means I clearly can't stick with own my prompts.


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